Valve testing apparatus



May 5, 1953 Filed June 6, 1946 J. F. KANEY VALVE TESTING APPARATUS- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IN V EN TOR.

JOSEPH F/(A/VE) A TTOR May 5, 1953 Filed June 6, 1946 J.. F. KANEY VALVE TESTING APPARATUS 2 SI-IEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. JOSEPH F/(A/VE) ATTORNE Y the d Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE TESTING APPARATUS Joseph F. Kaney, Philadelphia, Pa. Application June 6, 1946, Serial No. 674,699

2 Claims. (Cl. 73-4) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),

sec. 266) The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to apparatus for testing relief and safety valves.

in esting relief and safety valves the shock encountered by workmen when these valves popped in the test room has been found to be dangerous to personnel near the testing apparatus. Also, when rigid connections, as thread d pipe and a closed apparatus are used,

exists of the apparatus failing and away by the shock of the valve that is being tested popping.

This invention aims to eliminate the above disadvantages and to provide a simple, effi cient testing apparatus therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for testing relief and safety valves which exhausts to the atmosphere at a point outside the testing room.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for testing relief and safety valves which is adjustable to accommodate various types of valves and fluid pressure sources.

Further objects and advantages of this invention, as well as the arrangement and operation of one practical embodiment thereof, will be apparent from the following description and claims in connection with. the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, showing the test apparatus embodying the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the test apparatus, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

The testing apparatus of the disclosed embodiment, illustrated generally at it, comprises the elbows I and it which are coupled to each other by means of their coupling fingers l3 and [4 respectively, and secured to each other by means of bolts l5 and nuts it. Both elbows H and I2 in the disclosed embodiment are 45. The coupling flange iii of elbow ll constitutes an annular disc which is secured to the end of the elbow, as shown in 2, by welding or the like suitable means. Coupling flange 24 is a similar annular disc, and is secured to its elbow l2 in a like manner.

Elbow l2, and other apparatus associated therewith which will be described more fully hereinafter, is positioned on one side of the wall it, which may be the wall of any suitable building or chamber in which it is desired to test valves.

2 Elbow ll passes through cutout ll of wall l3 to the atmosphere outside the chamber or building in which valves are being tested.

Coupling it comprises the annular discs or plates 29 and 2t which are held spaced apart by the sleeve 22 positioned between them, and are secured to sleeve 22 and to each other by means of bolts 24 and nuts 25. Plate 20 is secured to elbow it at its end remote from elbow l l by welding at 23 to constitute a coupling flange of elbow l2, and the members 29, 22 and 2! thus constitute the coupling it which is secured to the end of elbow it by means of the weld it. See Fig. 2.

Tube or pipe 2i fits in the-discs 2i! and El and is inserted therein to project into the elbow 12 at its lower end. The inside diameter of sleeve 22 is greater than the inside diameters of discs to and 2i, and. packing 26 in the annular space between flanges 2t and 21 and between inside and outside surfaces of sleeve 22 and pipe 2'? respectively seals the coupling is fluid tight between the pipe Zland the pipe of elbow !2. Pipe 2? may thus be adjusted lengthwise into the lower end of elbow i2, the coupling is between the elbow l2 and pipe 21 being fluid tight for any position of adjustment.

Stone flange it, having a beveled inner edge 3 l is secured to flange disc 32 of pipe 21 by means of bolts 33 and nuts 34. Elbow 35 comprises a flared upper end 36, which is complementary to the beveled edge 3| of flange 3!! to insure a snug fit... Elbow 35 is adjustable rotatably on the axis of pipe 21, and is held in adjusted position by the flange at being tightened towards flange 32 by means of bolts 33 and nuts 3d, the coupling of flanges 36 and 32 being fluid tight by means of the flare 35 of the elbow 35 and the companion bevel ill of flange 30.

Elbow 35 is a fixture. The axis of elbow l2 below its 45 deflection extends vertically, as are also the axis of pipe 21 and the axis of 90 elbow 35 at its upper end where it is secured to pipe 2'? by the coupling of flanges 3t and 32. At its lower end, the axis of elbow 35 is directed horithe sleeve 22. .:.nuts- M,-by means of which the pipe 21 is held as the popping off. -tested reaches theypopping. point, the suddenly :and violently decompressed pressurefiuidis. ex- :hausted safely through elbow- 35, and upwardly @through' pipe 2'l,'.andelb'ows l2 and .l i, into the atmosphere away; from. the location of.-..the:per-

zontally, in a direction generally away from the wall 18, as seen in Fig. 2.

At the lower end of elbow 35, the flange disc 31 constituting a coupling flange is secured to the elbow by means of welding as seen in Fig. 2. Plate 50 is secured to coupling flange 31 of elbow at its extremity opposite the coupling 30, 32 by meansof bolts'38. and nuts 39. Plate 50 constitutes a coupling disc by means'of which a valve is coupled to the apparatus of the invention for testing, and comprises the threaded center hole which is standard for receivingthreadsof a valve or a fitting attached thereto.

Adjustment rods 4! are suitably secured, by

welding or the like means, to the coupling flange.

32 of pipe 22, and project vertically upwardly and parallel with the axis of pipe 27 on opposite sides thereof. The rods 4| are projected through coupling l9, and particularly through aligned bores 42 and 43 of coupling plates 28 and 2! and The rods- 4 I. are threaded for *the in position of lengthwisev adjustment with refer- .ence to the elbow l2 and the coupling Hi thereof. The height of. thecoupling hole it for the valvebeingtested, fol-example above the floor .of .thechamber. of partition #8, is thereby adjustedin 1 accordance with. the position of V the valve to be tested above theficor.

The -Van Stone flangetli permits rotary ad- :justment. ofelbow-35 on the vertical axis of the .pipe 27, and thereby. enables the axis of coupling hole 423 of. plate oil to swingin a horizontal plane. The valve to be tested is thus easily coupled to the apparatus of. the'invention indefercnce to ;the direction-thatthe valve projects away from the source of pressure fiuid towhich it is coupled towardsthe apparatus disclosed. Vertical adjustment of coupling hole 48 of plate 56 as desired is accomplished by traversingrods til of coupling disc 32 of pipe 2'? vertically with reference .to coupling is under. action of the positioning nuts :36 against the discs 20 and Zl-of coupling 19.

adjusted .in conformancewith the level above, 4 the floor at which the valve to be tested projects The height of coupling hole 48 is thereby away from its source of pressure fluid. The Van .Stone coupling' 39 positions the axis of coupling 'hole t in alignment with the axis-of the valve to be tested. directed towards the apparatus of the invention. These vertical .and rotary adjust- .rnents, of the rods 4| and Van Stone coupling 3t respectivelmavoid the need of. flexible tubing for coupling a valve to be tested to the'testing apparatus of the invention.

.Drain 28 will. preventany condensate from passing below coupling l9 and accumulating in elbow 35, from which'it might flow towards or into the valve being tested.

To test a'valve, it is coupled to' any suitable "source of pressure'fluid; which may be water or steam under pressure,'or it may be compressed air supplied by an airbompressor which preferably is'mountedportable to enable it to be moved to the apparatus of'the present invention. 2 The valve is"coupled to plate 50'by means of threadedxhole' at, and is. subjected to progressively increasing pressuresuntil the .valve fails.

Rupture of the valve is violent, and this is known When-the valve being '4 sonnel performing the test and outside the enclosure where the test is being made.

It is understood that various modifications and changes may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1; A valve testing apparatus comprising a wall, a first pipepa'ssing through said wall and exhausting to the atmosphere on one side of the wall, a vertically extending first elbow connected to said first pipe on the opposite side of the wall from the exhaust, a second pipe extending into said first elbow, an upper annular disc around the .lower end of said first elbow, a lower annular disc about the lower end of said second pipe, a packingsleeve between said upper and lower discs. packing 'betweensaid sleeve and said second pipe. a flange on the lower end of said second pipe, an annular disc connected to said flange, a second elbow rotatably connected to said annular disc,

..a:coupling fora azvalve at the terminus'of :the second .elbow-awayirom the rotatable connection.

2. A valve testing apparatus comprising a wall, an inclined first pipe extending through said wall, the first pipe extending upwardlylfrorn. the invvclinc onone side of the wall and exhausting to the" atmosphere, .a' first elbow connected to said first pipe on theoppo'siteside.ofthewall from the Y exhaust and extending vertically downwardly, the

said packingisleeve: and saidsecond pipe, a

threadedbore in said firstelbow above said first annular disc, a drain pipe in said threaded bore, a first flange onthelower end of said second pipe, athird annulardisc fixed to said first flange coaxially, the inner :circumference of said third annular 'disc'being beveled, a second elbow, said second elbow having-aflared upper end, said fiared'upper end being complementary to said beveled inner circumference and'in-rotatable engagement:therewith,.the lower end of said second elbow having. a second flange, a fourth disc coaxially attached to-said second flange, said fourth disc having. a threaded bore thcrethrough for coupling a valve being tested into the apparatus.

r JOSEPH EH KANEY.

References Cited .in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name "Date 943,904 ."Struer 'Dec.'21,' .1909 1,079,350 Kelly Nov. 25,1913 1,247,937 Cumfer 'Nov. 27, 1917 1,817,289 Benz Aug. 4-, 1931 1,947,072 Walton et 'al. Feb. 13, 1934 2,013,448 Roby. Sept. 3, 1935 2,178,901 Webster 'Nov. 7, .1939

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country .Date

3,994 Gre'atiBritain Maral; 1900 

